


Peace Before the Battle

by CatherynnStars



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Comfort, Comfort No Hurt, Cute, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Final Battle, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Flustered Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, Mentioned Golden Deer Students (Fire Emblem), Oneshot, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Romance, Short & Sweet, Shyness, Sort Of, War, loremari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:49:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29635587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatherynnStars/pseuds/CatherynnStars
Summary: It is the day before the Alliance and allies set off for their final battle against the Adrestian Empire. The atmosphere everywhere is tense, as everyone knows it may be their very last chance at stopping the Flame Emperor- and it could very well be the last battle they ever fight.Two former classmates quietly converse about concerns and hope, and in each other find the strength to fight one last time.
Relationships: Marianne von Edmund & Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, Marianne von Edmund/Lorenz Hellman Gloucester
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Peace Before the Battle

“Dear Goddess-” Marianne began to recite the same prayer that she had been repeating every day since the plan to invade the capital had started in motion. A soft knock at her bedroom door interrupted her however, and she called quietly for the person to enter, turning from the windows to see who it could be. The tall nobleman in her doorway bowed his head slightly, purple hair falling forward onto his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Marianne. I hope I’m not disturbing you much. It is almost time for the final battle and...I wanted to see how you are feeling.” He took a tentative step forward. 

“Oh, Lorenz...I just pray that the goddess will be watching over us.” She put her head back down, sad eyes focused on her hands clasped tightly in front of her. The sun poured through the windows, creating a halo around Marianne that made her appear to Lorenz as one of the holy figures they often learned about in the monastery. For a moment, he simply stood there taking in her beauty. The modest wallflower from their academy days had grown into a woman with a gentle heart and a smile so kind it could warm even the coldest of nobles in the Alliance. So much of her was delicate; the way she carefully braided her hair each day, how tenderly she cared for the horses in the stable, how softly she spoke her prayers. Yet, leaned against the wall was the new silver lance that she had gone into combat with recently- a sharp weapon that glinted in the sunlight as she brandished it against Empire soldiers with courage that Lorenz had never seen before from the woman. He had been in awe of her the first time he saw her as a newly appointed Holy Knight, and though she still preferred magic and healing over melee combat, she wielded the weapon well enough to protect herself and those around her when absolutely necessary.

“Marianne...the road we have traveled has not been an easy one. There’s no doubt that this will be our hardest fight yet. That being said, we have made it this far, and I believe that we will make it through.”

  
“I hope you’re right, Lorenz,” said Marianne, shifting nervously. 

He nodded with a flourish of one of his hands, “I’m certain. Though I think Claude can be a bit...brazen for his role, he has not steered us wrong yet. We  _ will _ be successful and put an end to the terrors of this war once and for all.” 

She was quiet, still refusing eye contact. Lorenz took a few more steps into her room to stand just within reach of her. Any other woman, he would have attempted to take her into his arms and assure her that they were safe. But, he learned he had to be careful with the blue-haired woman so as to not overstep his boundaries. As she had come to trust him over the years, she had become more open with him, but he knew that things had to move at her pace to keep her comfortable. She was different from others he had tried to woo in the past, a natural beauty, humble and kind yet extremely shy, and so he had worked hard to make sure he approached her differently than any other woman before. He could remember the first time she rested her head against his shoulder, the first time she laced her fingers through his as they walked, the first time she embraced him after a battle. Each bit of physical contact had always sent a wave of pure happiness through him, and made him blush a shade that Claude commented was nearly identical to that of the rose he always wore. 

He cleared his throat and decided to break the silence, “In your new armor and riding upon your dear steed Dorte, I daresay you resemble a great warrior from a tale of Fodlan’s past, if not the Goddess herself with such grace, elegance, and bravery.” 

“The Goddess herself?” Marianne’s face had now flushed a bright red, eyes wide and staring at Lorenz. 

“Indeed. You may not see it when you look in the mirror, but what I and the rest of us see is a brave fighter who uses their faith to guide them in the midst of battle. Someone whose concern for all living beings, large and small, motivates them to fight even if it’s unpleasant.”

“You are too kind to me. But to compare to the Goddess…”

“It is a comparison I would never make lightly. Truly, you are a vision, an inspiration.” 

“Thank you,” Marianne whispered, looking to the side once more, “although I admit I don’t feel like I inspire many.” 

“I know for certain you do,” Lorenz insisted, “have you heard Hilda’s various praises, or Ignatz’s desire to paint portraits of us great heroes of the Alliance, which includes yourself? When I’m in battle, and I look to see you at my side, beautiful and strong, I feel I can defend our cause against any number of enemies.” There was now a faint pink across the man’s cheeks, and he hesitantly reached out to hold her hands in his. Marianne set her small hands in his, squeezing them to assure him that she was comfortable with the contact. 

The young woman remained silent for a few moments, blushing furiously, before speaking once more. “I’ve never felt important to anyone or anything. I’ve always felt I was much more a burden to have around.” 

“You are important to all of us, to our cause...to me.” 

Looking up in surprise once more, her deep brown eyes stared into his violet ones, looking for some sort of hint of a joke. When she saw no playfulness in his expression, and the blush on his face only deepend, she realized he was being completely sincere.

“I-I-” she began to stutter.

“I know you may struggle to see how special you are, but I have seen it with my own eyes for a long time now. I care more for you than anyone else. I will do all that it takes to keep you safe, and once the war is over, show you the many ways in which you are an incredible woman. I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, swear to love, protect, and provide for you for the rest of our lives.”

He felt his face burning as he spoke his promise, and knew he must not only match the shade of his rose but possibly the same shade of red her face was. They maintained eye contact, and he could see tears welling in her eyes. Perhaps he had pushed too far this time, perhaps she wasn’t ready for such an admission, perhaps- 

Suddenly, she had taken her hands from his and threw her arms around him instead, holding him tightly. He stood in shock for a moment, hands in the air, before slowly bringing them down to rest on Marianne’s back. They stayed in a silent embrace for a few minutes, and when they pulled away he reached up to wipe the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. 

“Are you okay, Marianne? I’m sorry if-” 

“I’m fine,” she sniffled, “I just...I’ve never felt that I deserved love, or even kindness…” 

Hearing her say this nearly broke Lorenz’s heart, and he pulled her into his arms once more. He would be sure to show her nothing but love from now until the end of their days. They would make it through the final battle, and they would live a long, happy, fulfilling life, he was certain of it. He knew the Goddess would be watching them, and with Marianne by his side, he felt nothing but victory could be possible.

* * *

Marianne nervously patted Dorte’s mane as she sat upon her beloved horse waiting for a signal from Claude to move forward. Her other hand was tightly clenched around her lance, and she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her anxiety. Rather than making her feel powerful or brave, her armor felt heavy and clunky on her body. Hilda had helped her put on the new armor each time, making comments about how it almost transformed Marianne into a different person, but was it a person that Marianne wanted to be? 

She heard a horse coming up behind her, and she shifted to turn and see Lorenz riding up on his own mount, black as midnight and decorated with purple accents to match its rider. He bowed his head slightly and stopped next to her. 

Without a word, he held out a gloved hand to her. She looked at it, and moved her lance to the opposite hand to take his. She squeezed it and looked into his eyes, finding some peace in them. He raised her hand up to brush a kiss against her knuckles, which brought a rosy tint across her cheeks. When he brought it back down, they looked ahead to see the Alliance leader give the signal they had been waiting for. With one last look towards one another, they let each other go and went forward together into battle. 

**Author's Note:**

> It's interesting how this story came about, because in the first few chapters of my first playthrough, I just made fun of Lorenz and actually thought Marianne and Claude would be interesting. However, I just couldn't get over some of his development and their supports solidified it for me. By the end of the game, I had this short little scene in my head (even though I didn't make her a Holy Knight myself) of them just being cute and him comforting her. I also for some reason just really liked the idea of her doubting herself as a newly promoted knight, being something she would never have imagined for herself, but that shows the seriousness of the situation- she has to don armor, because this is truly a battle for their lives. 
> 
> Hope that you all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing and imagining it!


End file.
